School Funding Diversionary Tactics
Wednesday, January 07, 2004
Why is the state government making loud noises about forcing non-government schools to meet tougher teaching and learning requirements? Outcomes suggest quite the opposite: they need to devote their energies to raising the education performance of their own schools.
Perhaps it is a diversion, intended to distract attention from the worst performing sector. They say the increased controls are "in exchange for" state government funding. This is funny language to use against tax-paying families who are already unfairly punished for daring to choose a non-state education provider.
Indeed the real question is how do they justify their grossly biased funding regime that traps many children the worst performing sector of schools?
Philip O'Carroll